Apparatus for sharpening the blades of safety razors



Apr. 17, 1923. 1,452,401

, c. 'r. WALKER APPARATUS FOR SHARPENING THE BLADES OF SAFETY RAZORS Filed Sept; 16 1920 Jim/wry.

Patented Apr. 1'7, 1923.

our-ran arres 1,452,401 ATENT oqrrice.

CYRILT. \VALKER'; OF SECUNDEBABAD, DEGCAN, INDIA.

APPARATUS FOR easem nt;

Application filed September To all whom/i2 may concern,

Be it known that 1, Grain TURNER amina subject of the King of Great Britain residin at Lalla 'uda. Secunder- 5 abad, Deccan. India, have invented certain.

new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Sharpening the Blades of Safety Razors, of which the following a specification. g

This invention relates to apparatus for sharpening or stropping the blades of safety-razors, of the type in which a bladecarrying memberiscaused to oscillate so as to'bring the cutting edges of the blade into contact with a leather strop which is drawn backwards and forwards between rollers adapted to actuate said bladewarrying member, and the invention has for an object an improved construction whereby the degree of pressure between theblade and the strop can be regulated or varied duringg the operation of stropping.

According to the invention the'rollers actuating the blade-carrying device are car ried by a frame capable ofangular movement in order to presentthe blade at the required angle to the strop and means are provided for regulating the extent of such angular movement of the frame to which the blade-carrying member is connected.

To this end, a pair of stops are slidably mounted upon the main member or body of the apparatus and are adapted to be moved intothe path of an angularly movable frame by means of a cam formed on or attached to theusual hook or swivelcarried by said main member or body and whereby the device is connected to a convenient support to perform the stropping operation; and the blade-carrying member is coupled to said angularly movable frame by means of links which transmit to the blade an inclination that remains constant notwithstanding the amount of angular movement permitted by said stops. p

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a front elevation, Figure 2 is a cross-section and Figure 3 is a top plan view. 1 I

The body A ofthe device consists of a flat strip of metal bent to an inverted U-shape and carrying at the upper portion of the two parallel limbs rocking levers B connected at their ends by parallel spindles upon which rollers C are loosely mounted which THE BLADES OF SAFETY RAZORS.

1c, 1920. Serial No. 410,594.

spindles form with said levers a frame that is capable of angular movement on pins D whereby said levers are attached to the limbs of the body A. I

Mounted freely on each of the spindles which carry the rollers C is a pair of links E whereof the lowerextremities of each pair are attached pivotally to one of a pair of clamping plates F adapted to grip and hold the double-edged razor blade G whiclristo be sharpened. The clamping plates Fare securely held together by means of hooks H one at each end.

The lower extremities of the inverted U- shaped member or body A are connected by a rodhaving a. small roller I mounted thereon.

J is the usual suspension hookwhich is rotatably mounted at the head of the member A. The neck of said hook J has formed on or attached to it an oval-shaped cam K.

L are two curved stops slidably mounted on the member A. In the present instance the stops L are shown as having slot-s through which extend headed pins M carried by the member A. These stops L are adapted to be moved longitudinally upon the member A so as to present their lower extremities in the paths of angular movement of the rocking levers B and this movement of the stops L is effected by rotating the hook J relatively to the member A, or vice versa', so as to bring the cam K into contact with the adj ac'ent upper extremities of the stops L. I

N, O are the opposite ends of a fiat leather strop which is passed under the roller I and over. the two rollers C thus forming a bight presenting .two parallel stropping surfaces between which the blade is oscillated.

In order to strop the blade G the strop N, O is drawn backwards and forwards through the apparatus.

VVhen the end N of the strop is drawn to the left the frame carrying the rollers C is tilted downward onthe left-hand side (see Figure 2) and upwards at the right-hand side and this motion is transmitted by the links E to the plates F which inclines the blade G so that its upper, left and lower right hand edges contact with the parallel portions of the strop. Conversely when the end 0 of the strop is drawn to the right the roller carrying frame is tilted downwards on the right hand side and upwards on the left hand side, bringing the right I the blade and strop are obtainable.

hand upper and left hand lower edges of the blade Ur into contact with the strop.

The degree of pressure with which the blade G meets the strop depends upon the amount of angular movement that is permitted to the levers B and this is regulated by the position of the oval-shaped. cam K. When the ends of the stops L contact with the minor diameter of cam K the maximum angular movement of the levers B and consequently the maximum pressure between Conversely when the ends of the stops L are in contact with the major diameter of can K i the minimum angular movement is imparted to levers B and consequently the minimum pressure is exerted by the blade to the strop.

It is thus possible to regulate the pressure of the blade upon the strop during the stropping operation by rotating the member A relatively to the hook K. The blade may therefore be stropped heavily at first and the pressure of the blade upon the strop may then be regulated so that the blade may be finished off lightly.

An important feature of the invention is the separable oscillating blade holder whereby a double edged blade is held and manipulated to simultaneously present one side of both edges to the strop so as to effect the sharpening of such blade more expeditiously and with less labor than where one edge of the blade at a time is presented to the strop.

What I claim is 1. In a razor stropping apparatus, a frame and a flexible strop movable lengthwise in both directions through the frame, said frame having guides to direct the strop in spaced parallel stretches, a blade holder mounted to oscillate between said stretches and adapted to hold a double edged blade and to simultaneously present one side of each edge to said strop, means operated by the strop to oscillate said holder, and cam operated means for adjust-ably controlling and limiting the oscillatory movements of said blade holder.

2. A razor stropping apparatus coinprising an inverted U-shaped frame, a cross bar connecting the ends of said frame, levers extending transversely of the frame pivoted intermediate their ends to the sides of the frame, rollers journaled in the ends of said levers, an oscillating blade holder connected to said rollers, a strop extending under said cross-bar and upwardly and outwardly over said rollers, whereby, when said strop is drawn back and forth, the roller-carrying levers are rocked and the blade holder is oscillated to alternately present the opposite sides of the edge of the blade against the moving strop and adjustable stops for controlling and limiting the pivotal move ments of said roller-carrying levers.

3. A razor stropping apparatus comprising an inverted U-shaped frame, a cross-bar connecting the ends of said frame, levers pivoted intermediate their ends to opposite sides of said frame near the upper part thereof, rollers connecting and journaled in opposite ends of said levers links, depending from said levers and connected with the opposite ends of said rollers, blade-clamping plates pivotally connected to the lower ends of said links, means for separably connecting said plates, and a strop passing under said connecting cross-bar and upwardly and outwardly over said rollers, and adapted to be drawn back and forth to depress said rollers and oscillate said blade holding plates to press the edges of the blade against the strop.

4. In a razor sharpening apparatus, a frame, oscillating lever arms pivoted intermediately of their ends to said frame, links secured to said arms and extending downwardly therefrom, flat sided plates secured to the lower ends of said links and adapted to have their flat sides brought together against the opposite sides of a razor blade, means for securing said plates in contact with said blade, a razor strop, means Whereby said strop is guided past said plates, and means whereby said lever arms are oscillated by the movement of said strop.

5. In a razor stropping apparatus, a frame and a flexible strop movable length- Wisein both directions through the frame, said frame having guides for directing the strop in spaced parallel stretches, a blade holder mounted to oscillate between said stretches and adapted to hold a double edged blade and to simultaneously present one side of each edge to said strop, means operated by the strop to oscillate said holder, suspending means for said apparatus, plates adjustably mounted on said frame adapted to regulate the amount of oscillation of said blade holder, and a cam for operating said plates.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GYRIL T. WALKER. Witnesses:

' JAMES F. JAMIESON,

CHARLES H. B. NEWMAN. 

